Sunken Lands

We take it for granted

(music & lyrics by Jaap Vissering)

Wild and savage and empty lie the sunken lands

When poor men slaved and Jesus saved

And Jesus saved

Blood sweat and tears. Cultivated with bare hands

We take it for granted, the sunken lands

The sunken lands

The devil used to wander around

He got chased by brave men

That’s what the legend tells

Either that or go to hell

Great grandfathers and great grandmothers

Why we fail to honour who should be honoured

Who should be honoured

I need this wide view and the straight lines to clear my head

And now we take it for granted, the sunken lands

The sunken lands

Not a cloud in the sky

(music & lyrics by Jaap Vissering)

I was born in a small town

Raised near the land

We used to climb haystacks

Covered in dust and sand

We built a hut in the forest

And we could see for miles

Daddy was a worried man

But not a cloud in the sky

I only remember sunny days

And I never lacked anything

Looking back, I know better and I know why

There ain’t a cloud in the sky

I fell in love with music

At a very young age

And daddy played his guitar

Almost every day

The damage is done

(music & lyrics by Jaap Vissering)

I got myself into trouble again

And now I gotta take care of myself

Tonight again, it all got out of hand

So I asked my friend Jim Beam for help

I asked my friend Jim Beam for help

A long time ago

I used to blame it all on the whiskey

Used to blame it on you

But now I look at myself in the mirror

He’s the one I should’ve been talkin’ to

A long time ago

When the storm dies down

And the damage is done

There ain’t no turning around

And everything is gone

I got sobered up in my empty house

Texting you all my regrets

But in this rare moment of clarity

I realize I’m not in your head

It was a long time ago

Andrew (music & lyrics by Jaap Vissering)

Do you remember Andrew,

we were high school friends

We used to hang out on Friday afternoons

Getting drunk in the woods

Misfits and loners who understood

This will all be over soon

After a couple of beers

Andrew was loosen up

Talkin’ about the shit he was going through

We made fun of him getting buzzed

Till he couldn’t get up on his feet

We just dropped him off

Little did we know

Andrew

And when we graduated

I turned left and he turned right

We both moved on with our lives

I heard through the grapevine

That he dropped out of school

And found a girl that hits the bottle too

After a couple of years

Andrew was shutting down

Never talkin’ about the shit he was going through

‘Cause she makes fun of him getting buzzed

They got married. Working temporary jobs

Man, I hope you’re happy too

Andrew

Pretty good guy (music & lyrics by Edwin Jongedijk)

Well I might have done some good things wrong

And I might have done the bad things right

Should’ve done a lot of things different

But you can’t say I didn’t try

And I might have a selective memory

Of some occasions along the way

Confessin’ doesn’t help a man out much

Don’t pay attention to what I say

Overall I’m a pretty good guy

With some flaws in his ways

I make mistakes more here, than there

But my heart is in the right place

I been known to speak my mind

Sometimes I bend the truth

I may show up, or maybe I won’t

If I find something else to do

Whiskey or wine, I don’t care

As long as I catch a buzz

But all those nights when I stayed out late

I never caused a fuss

Yeah, overall I’m a pretty good guy

With some flaws in his ways

I make mistakes more here, than there

But my heart is in the right place

Not my time

(music & lyrics by Jaap Vissering)

I guess it’s in the moment of dying when we understand life

It was touch-and-go there for a while

I see it as tough luck

and I was lucky at the same time

I guess it’s in the moment of dying when we understand life

I was in the wrong and best place at the wrong and best time

Hanging by a thread, but they used a blunt knife

I guess I won’t make it till 80

But at least I turned 39

I was in the wrong and best place at the wrong and best time

I met the devil and an angel

They both said it’s not my time

Not my time

And when the lights go out, it stops… no dark, no light

Only the pain and memories of those left behind

I’m not afraid to die

But it scares me not to live

And when the lights go out, it stops… no dark, no light

I met the devil and an angel

They both looked me in the eyes

I met the devil and an angel

They both said it’s not my time

Not my time

I guess it’s in the moment of dying when we understand life

It was touch-and-go there for a while

I’m still not afraid to die

But it scares me not to live

I guess it’s in the moment of dying when we understand life

His old tattoo

(music by Edwin Jongedijk & lyrics by Jaap Vissering)

His old tattoo is faded

Just like his memories

And though he’s marked for life

Still waters run deep

Why he ended up so jaded?

He looks like an open book to me

A picture paints a thousand words

But we’re not getting the whole story

When words can’t express

And stories even less

You better read between the lines

It takes one to know one

And not all wounds heal over time

He was mumbling words

I couldn’t understand

But his future is defined

By whatever happened to the man

Now his old tattoo is faded

Just like his memories

But he clearly remembers

That one day, back in ‘63

Broken homes and broken hearts

(music & lyrics by Jaap Vissering)

Broken homes and broken hearts

Their path in live is paved

Broken bones and broken dreams

And a future that is razed

Little children with torn roots

A chip of the old block

Not on purpose, old habits die hard

Broken homes and broken hearts

I wish I could make a change

Teach ‘em lessons to remember

But how can one heal a heart or soul

that is dismembered?

Broken homes and broken hearts

Their path in live is paved

Not on purpose, old habits die hard

Broken homes and broken hearts

Lighthouse (music & lyrics by Jaap Vissering)

There’s a lighthouse on a hill
It will always lead the way
In the darkness I will find you

Stay with me till the end of days

I wanna sail away
I wanna be with you and stay
I burned my bridges and crossed the pond

And I am never going back where I came from

I wanna sail away

There’s an island in the sea
In this marina I’ll dock my boat

A home base I will never leave

Push the boat offshore

I travelled the seven seas

But with you I found peace

I’m leavin’ (I just don’t know when)

(music by Rowdy Prins & lyrics by Edwin Jongedijk)

Yeah, I’m leavin’, you better believe it

I’ll be walking out the door, without looking back

I just don’t know when

Yeah, I’m leavin’, you better believe it

I’ve had my share of doubts, but I’ll be gone again

I just don’t know when

I know I said this times before

But this time babe it’s true

I’m sick and tired of dealin’ with the shit you put me through

I know I said this times before

But this time babe it’s true

Don’t think that I can stand any more of the shit you put me through

So, I’m leavin’, you better believe it

I’ve had my share of doubts, but I’ll be gone again

I just don’t know when

Crossroads (music & lyrics by Jaap Vissering)

I’ve been on many crossroads in my life
Took some turns and went straight on

It’s been a bumpy ride

Meeting expectations and trying to survive

I’ve been on many crossroads in my life

Not sure about the choices that I made
My heart is saying yes, my mind got something else to say

It’s easier said than done
But wisdom comes with age
I’m not sure about the choices that I made

Then I saw a light appearing
Not a voice that I was hearing
I don’t think there’s a God at all, but I got a wake-up call
I’ve been on many crossroads in my life

And I might have made a few mistakes in my life

But I have no regrets
‘Cause I can’t turn back time
Take things as they come

Sometimes I walk the line
Yeah, I might have made a few mistakes in my life

When the nights are short

(music by Bas Sligter & lyrics by Jaap Vissering)

I’m going for a walk; I just want to be alone

Or maybe I’m going for a ride

I put some music on and drink my coffee strong

When the nights are short and the days are long

My hands are tied. I better make up my mind

Break the chains and leave it all behind

And it’s probably a phase like all the times before

I know that when I walk out the door

What can I do? I don’t pretend to know the truth

When the nights are short and the days are long

A lot on my mind and everything goes wrong

American heroes singing their songs

About old times, but those days are long gone

And while I’m walking, their words calm me downI hear myself talking and I turn around